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A New Outlook on Aging
Here are the three biggest trends rewriting the way that we think about ourselves as older adults:
- We don’t act our age. For today’s aging adults, 60 is the new 40. Age isn’t seen as a strict limitation of what we can do or what we can aspire to be.
- We don’t feel bad about aging. Overall, society has begun to place less of a stigma on aging, giving greater appreciation for the achievements that have gotten us so far! People are staying active in their communities, businesses and lifestyles longer than ever before.
- We’re paying attention to the cost of retirement. As the way we age is changing, the way we retire is changing, too. Many older adults decide to age in place, or move in with their adult children when necessary, due to the price and stigma that residential care still carries.
Older Adults Have Societal Support
These trends are driving a revolution in aging, and companies are creating products that provide opportunities past generations have never had. Consider the drugs, medications, fitness offerings and dietary innovations that have become ubiquitous, all designed to help older adults get just a little more out of life. These are just a few ways our culture is providing the support older adults need to age more actively, happily and successfully — while helping shed the previous societal stigmas of aging.
Growing Older is Changing
Aging no longer means you have to become a spectator in life. Today’s adults are proud of getting older. The life of older adults will only become more active as more technological offerings and adaptations are introduced, and it presents more opportunities for younger generations to learn from the growing population of elders. I expect these opportunities will provide important lessons for business and personal growth for decades to come.
